Information and Recipes to Create Your Own Bath and Body Products In Your Very Own Kitchen!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Safety when working with Potassim Hydroxide

Guest Author - Angela Chinhing

As a nurse I would like to emphasize the importance of wearing protective gear and following safety precautions when making soap. During soap making many things can go wrong. Accidents can be prevented by working in a more organized method. However, prepare for the unexpected.Raw KOH in water has a PH of 13.5, this means it will irritate skin and mucosal tissue like an acid. During the Saponification process there are two different types of injury that can occur. Irritation from a corrosive chemical and burns because the chemical’s temperature is above 160F. KOH added to water is an exothermic reaction, it generates heat, lots of it.

Your work area should have a sink available in case you need to rinse. Vinegar should be within easy accessible reach. Contact with skin can cause deep penetrating slow healing ulcers. If the skin comes in contact rinse with vinegar then water for up to 15 minuets, even if it is not hurting. Contact with the eye can cause severe damage even blindness. There should also be an eyewash solution in case of splashes to your eye. Rinse with eyewash solution for 10-15 minutes then seek medical attention. Poison control number should be by the phone. If you make soap alone at home someone should be aware that you do.

Never eat or drink in you work area while making soap.

Protective gear will only protect you if it is worn properly. If you wear glasses, invest in a face shield, if not, then wear goggles. The goggles should be able to protect your eyes from splashes and liquid dripping into your eyes.

KOH is more corrosive than NAOH. The severity of the injury depends on the injury with this alkali depends on the duration of contact, the concentration of the solution and the temperature of the solution.

IF you have never seen or looked up a MSDS (Material Data Safety Sheet) look up KOH, it is available online. A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is designed to provide proper procedures for handling or working with a particular substance. MSDS's include information such as toxicity, health effects, first aid, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill/leak procedures. These are of particular use if a spill or other accident occurs.

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About Me

I have a B.A. in Mass Communication and took my first melt and pour soapmaking class in 2002. Since then I got hooked making my own bath and products. I have taken various courses in Soapmaking (Melt & Pour, Cold Process, Hot Process), lotion making (lotions, creams, lotion sticks), bath products (bath salts, body scrubs), body products (lip balm, body butters, body balms, whipped butters) and more. Most of all of my classes were taught by Lori Nova of The Nova Studio in Point Richmond, Ca. I have taught courses since 2004 at various locations. I have worked as an Event Coordinator at Michaels Redwood City.